Bid on NC candidate's life, ten killed in J&K

Six militants, including a self-styled commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, and a soldier were among ten killed people and five injured as terrorists attacked a National Conference rally and a designated polling station in Jammu and Kashmir since Thursday night, an official spokesman said on Friday.

The National Conference candidate from Bijbehara, A G Veeri, escaped when militants lobbed a grenade and followed it by firing on his campaign rally at Kanalwan in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, the spokesman said.

Security personnel accompanying the rally fired in retaliation, the spokesman said, adding no one was hurt in the shootout.

A self-styled district commander of JeM, Shoukat Ahmad War, and his two bodyguards were killed in an encounter with security forces at Cherwani village of Gulgam in border district of Kupwara on Friday, the spokesman said.

All the three militants were locals and involved in large-scale violence in the border district, the spokesman said.

He said two unidentified militants were shot dead by the security forces during search operations at Kesargala in Manjakote area of Rajouri district.

Another militant was killed by the security forces in a gunfight at Pathrigali in Mankote area of Poonch district, the spokesman said.

Militants shot dead one Nawab Khan after dragging him out of his house at Sumlar in Baramulla district on Thursday night and set it on fire, the spokesman said.

He said a woman was killed when she was caught in shootout between militants and security forces at Gambhir Mughllan in Rajouri district on Friday morning.

Militants barged into the house of one Mohammad Khaliq at Darhal in Rajouri on Thursday night and chopped off his right ear, the spokesman said.

A security jawan, who was injured in an IED blast in Anantnag district on Thursday, succumbed to his injuries on Friday, the spokesman said.

Four policemen were injured when militants opened fire on designated polling station manned by state police at Qoimuh village in Kulgam area of Anantnag on Thursday night, the spokesman said.